Blindspotting is about Collin (Daveed Diggs) and Miles (Rafael Casal), who have been friends since their childhood. Colin has three days left on his probation, three days to stay out of trouble. The problem is that trouble just seems to follow everywhere Miles goes.

Back in April, I interviewed the co-writers/stars of Blindspotting, Rafael Casal, and David Diggs on the Red Carpet at the 2018 Atlanta Film Festival..

Mike: Hi guys.

Rafael Casal: Good to meet you.

Working together to write the script, who came up with the idea?

Rafael: One of our producers came up with the idea for us to write a movie that was infused with heightened language and burst. He had seen me do some poems on YouTube and he told me that it would translate to film. When Daveed became involved, we decided that we wanted to talk about some promenade issues that were happening in Oakland. It’s always been a collaborative effort between the two of us on the best way to tell the story.

Red Carpet for ‘Blindspotting’

When you guys wrote the screenplay, did you have in mind the characters you wanted to play?

Daveed Diggs: We knew we wanted to star in the film. These characters, Colin and Miles, kind of revealed themselves as the best way to tell this story. We created these characters based on real people. They were the best lens to tell this story of the gentrification of Oakland.

So while you were filming, did you have to do any re-writes?

Rafael: During filming? Of course. That the great thing about being the writers and well as the leads, we could change a line on the spot.

Daveed: We also allowed our other actors to do that as well. There were some really essential improvised moments in the film that became part of the plot. Things that were necessary for the plot.

Rafael: Certain actors like sticking to the script doing it word for word and other people like to give it their own flavor.

Q&A for ‘Blindspotting’

Talk about your director of the film, Carlos Lopez Estrada.

Rafael: So many of the things that you see in the film are there because he is fearless. He is the most mild-mannered, unassuming dude who is not afraid of anybody or anything. When he decides to shoot something a certain way…

Daveed: He will do anything to get that shot.

Rafael: He will be calm and collected as he straps a 50,000 dollar camera on the top of a truck to get that shot of us driving down the freeway.